A big thankyou for your wonderful messgae on this ausicious occassion, and thankyou Sohaib for all the wonderful work you do bringing tORN to the airways, you have such an enthusiasm and it shines through so brightly. Have a wonderful weekend fellow tORNsib!

Cheers Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

Please give John our warmest regards form all here (Im sure you will ) and I hope you get to catch up with him again at the theatre - it would be great to hear from him - will watch out for his message

and its great to see you here too!! (((hugs))) Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

For being part of our community and being a so generous to us all. And thankyou for the Anniversary wishes! - my celulite nods in agreement!

Cheers Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

Its great to see you here! Thankyou for s lovely intro and anniversary wishes, and ther IS BIG LOVE here on tORN! I can assure you Warmest regards Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

What a present! That is over-the-moon fantastic! I hope you are all having fun back exploring Middle-earth one more time

Off to watch the video again!

Cheers Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

I so admire your work - I am for ever in awe of its beauty, and your craftmanship, or should that be your penmanship My map hangs proudly over my fire place, and is much admired by visitors.

Thankyou for being here for the Anniversary celebration and for all the good wishes.

Im still hoping that there's a book in the works from you, showcasing your calligraphy and art - hopefully we will will see one in the future? I have had my fingers crossed for one for ages Will you be doing anymore Sketching Tours around Hobbiton and the LOTR sites? and is there any chance of a Calligraphy Master Classes or exhibitions in Australia or overseas? Have you done any already with your work from LOTR and other movies?

Great to see you here!

Cheers Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

Thank goodness for the conventions and gatherings that give us a chance to meet. ORC 06 was such a great experience, and I was so thrilled to have the chance to see you there. Your "Unsung Heroes Of The Lord of the Rings" was perfectly timed as a place to feed my need for another look at Tolkien's characters. I think they draw me to the story as much as (if not more) than the story itself.

Cheers, Dear Lady... and thank you so much for sharing this celebration of our Founders with us :D Here's to 10 more AT LEAST!

"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

Thank you for stopping in to add to the festivities. It turned out great didn't it? Our founders must be taking quite a delight with what is happening. Cheers! ''What connects Nature to the spiritual, or requires the presence of the latter? In positive terms, as Alkis Kontos points out, when nature was still largely experienced as integral, alive and active, 'It was the spiritual dimension of the world, its enchanted, magical quality that rendered it infinite, not amenable to complete calculability; spirit could not be quanified; it permitted and invited mythologization.' And I would add, it still is and does.'' Patrick Curry-Defending Middle-Earth-Tolkien: Myth and Modernity - chapter: 'The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics.'

May the grace of Manwë let us soar with eagle's wings! In the air, among the clouds in the sky Here is where the birds of Manwe fly Looking at the land, and the water that flows The true beauty of earth shows With the stars of Varda lighting my way In all the realms this is where I stay In the realm of Manwë Súlimo

It looks crisp and cold in the blue and white tones ... What a great shame it wasn't suitable.

but, the map now has a history ... a story behind it - I love maps just for that fact - they have so many stories to tell, just for the fact that they're maps.

Thankyou for posting it.

Cheers Elven x Swishtail.

Tolkien was a Capricorn!! Russell Crowe for Beorn!!Avatar: Liberace - The other Lord of the Rings.

Quote of The Week: The thing is I always write in the morning, and I know that if I go to the Net I won’t write ... you can start in the most scholarly website and end up at Paris Hilton dot com .. GdT

With bells on and streamers attached to my walker :D *counts on finger* I'll be 67! Then at our next party, I'll be 77... and so on and so VERY on!

Thanks so much Xo. I always wonder how you keep everything going as you balance RL, this site and all the extra-curricular activities that are spawned from it. Calisuri, Tehanu, Corvar and you have really created a significant Haven (or Asylum ;) for all of us here and for anyone curious about Tolkien and Jackson's films. Thank you for your constancy and total class :)

Cheers!

"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

And I laughed as she reflected on singing and sparring at the various gatherings. *still smiling* I can't wait to see he new work! I hope she has room for a chapter about GdT, Peter and the new films! *twitch*

Oh geez... this is all just too much fun!

Thanks so much Amy!

"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

I like the way you phrased it--we've all certainly had many different, and often meandering, paths to get here.

When I think back over the past decade, I'm remembering this weekend all the anticipation for the LotR films, never knowing that I'd return to a love of writing about film because of them. I didn't think I'd make it to New Zealand (and now I've been three times, and I'm looking forward to another trip when The Hobbit arrives). I never thought I'd get a chance to speak at fan conventions, much less meet some of my favorite actors there. I read Tolkien's manuscripts at the Marquette archives and was in awe of all the scholarship contained in one place. I can't even count the number of amazing Tolkien fans I've met in person or online, which is the best part of fandom. And now I'm trying to share some of my excitement for Tolkien's works with my students, so the path will continue long after I'm too old to figure out how to "post" on whatever new media come along. Ten years ago I had no idea where my Tolkien travels would take me, and when I look forward to the Hobbit films, I wonder just what all will come from our shared love of Tolkien in the next decade.

So, however we've made it here, I'm very glad we all have, and this weekend is the perfect time to catch up with everyone. It's a lot of fun to read the boards, so thanks for getting us all going to post this weekend!

Thanks! I'm going to be at DragonCon this year, so maybe we can chat there! I'm excited to be part of the Tolkien track--and I know there's a lot of news to share and events for everyone to catch up with.

Isn't it great how TORn connects everyone? This is my favorite fan site ever.

Someone else posted the photo of my framed map, in my office, which I enjoy every day. But here I want to post one of my favorite photos from my Red Carpet tour of March '08 (so long ago, now!), when I got to thank you in person for your excellent work -- and not just on the map! What a wonderful morning that was for all of us.

Keep up the good work, and thank you!

(I'm pointing to my own name on the border of the map.) * * * * * * * Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?

A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!

This is the best, isn't it? I think there's something about Tolkien's works that brings us together--the nicest people I've met are "Tolkien people." Whether we love the films or prefer the books, or however we enjoy the many adaptations of our favorite literature, we share a common bond that often becomes the basis for some fantastic friendships. And it's great this weekend to read all these posts from people all over the world who are equally enthusiastic. Very cool.